HASS

Rita de Faria - Head of Humanities and Social Sciences

ANZAC Research

To celebrate the ANZAC Centenary this year all Year 9 HASS students researched an Australian soldier who had been in World War I. Stephen Anstey, Curator of History from the WA Museum and a parent at the School, had worked on the National Anzac Centre in Albany and he gave us some insights into some of the research behind the "32 characters" that are featured in the NAC.

Despite being given only a brief time to work on the task, the Year 9 students were very pleased with their end product. They also enjoyed the technology behind embedding their research in a QR code that the other students at the College can scan with their iPad to discover more about the life of that soldier.

Be sure to download a QR app to find out more about the soldier we will feature each week!

This week's soldier is Sergeant John Reginald Storer researched by Ceri Ellis and Alice Kenny.

To further prepare for Anzac Day, all Year 9s were able to experience a performance by Classact called ANZAC G'DAY. In the play, a West Australian soldier enlists in the army in 1915 as an honourable duty. Through his young eyes we learn about friendship and the reasons why over 8000 Australian soldiers lost their lives. A young school student of today follows the solder's path and questions changing attitudes to war, both historically and in the light of the current conflicts. Students watching the show were encouraged to discuss finding alternatives to war and whether we always have a choice. The message that the Gallipoli campaign changed our Australian Identity was reinforced.